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The Start of The Rest of Our Lives
The Start of the Rest of Our Lives is the first episode of season two and the twenty-third episode overall of Glee Center Stage. It first aired on July 19th 2012. It marks the first appearance of recurring characters Amanda Evans, Dominique Felter, DJ Matlin & Kara Henderson. The students of St. Cecilia's return for another year, with the members of Center Stage back just in time to be seniors. During the senior's welcome address given by the school's principal, Sister Shadonda, everyone gets a glimpse of what's in store for them in the upcoming year. We also find out what happened in the year that was skipped, providing us with a glimpse of what brought upon certain situations in each person's lives. 'Recap' So here's what you missed last season on Center Stage... Mr. Evans returned to his old high school in the hopes of taking over the school's old show choir, coming across loads of issues along the way. He managed to put together a decent glee club, but with internal drama amidst the members, there was still so much to be done. June for example liked Spider, who liked JR, who was liked by Rose, who was dating Luke. Meanwhile, Billy was dating both Courtney and Teddy, which all pretty much ended in Violette stripping before the entire student body. Later on, Libby realized that she may actually be gay, thinking that she may like Vi, which ended in the admission of her and Courtney's mutual feelings for each other. To add to all this mess, Charlie who everyone thought was a minor, but was actually eighteen, ended up getting Ms. Cole pregnant! After the much awaited Evans - Bloss wedding, the couple, along with Charlie ended up having to deliver Kitty's baby themselves, making it known that Charlie was really the baby's father. They also had some pretty messed up rivals along the way. First, there were the overall nice Mockingjays, with one exception; the psycho The Hunger Games crazed female lead, Tara. But there's nothing a good sabotaging from Courtney Wintour couldn't fix. Next, we got to meet the snarky Coach DeWitt, who's anger towards Mr. Evans and Center Stage stemmed from his failed attempt at a music career, which ultimately ended when Patch decided to help him land a roll in a musical. Things really got messed up though, when Aural Fixation stepped in. Charlie found out that he had a brother, Eric, who moved to St. Cecilia's and Center Stage mainly to spy on them and sleep with Violette. Then there was Xander, who took advantage of Teddy when he and Billy were on the rocks, but it was alter revealed that he and Eric were actually an item. Thank goodness there was Hayley, who helped Luke through rehab every step of the way, and ultimately pulled a fast one on Aural FIxation by jumping ship and joining Center Stage. And who would forget the sudden appearance of one Vicky Laurent, Courtney's long lost mother, who would at first confuse Courtney even more, but in the end help her daughter come to terms with eveything. Lastly, our merry band of misfits ultimately finished at 11th place. Not bad for Show Choir Nationals first-timers. Billy's little stunt reveled Teddy's sexuality to his parents, but everything finally ended well. Now, after another year has passed, the students will now face their senior year. ...and that's what you missed last season on Center Stage! 'Story' And as time passes and circumstances change, people do change as well. June walked into St. Cecilia Academy at the start of the new year with a renewed sense of hope that this year, things would be better. Glee Club was still active despite their loss at Nationals two years in a row, and she had spent some time over the summer planning and wondering about the songs they would sing this year. Yes, Sister Shadonda had stated three years earlier, that they needed to at least place in order for the club to continue on, but it seemed that the amount of talent and chutzpah the club had was enough for her to allow them to continue on. She was also dating the male lead and surely that had to do something for her. Sure, the bullying was awful and their reputations had taken quite a beating over the years that passed, but some popularity was better than no popularity at all, right? “'The warmth of your love is like the warmth of the sun, and this will be our year, took a long time to come. Don't let go of my hand, now darkness has gone. And this will be our year, took a long time to come.'” sang Spider, the scene shifting to him as he whipped out his guitar, in the school’s courtyard, singing as groups of random students passed him by. June sighed as she thought about it. In truth, she didn't really care if she was popular or not, but she knew how important it was for most of the kids in the club. She had been sorry to see the summer end because she worried about some of Center Stage’s kids being back here at school. They had been able to spend the summer in a bubble without all the outside pressures of bullies and jerks. The call of the school hierarchy always managed to get them to answer it. She hoped things would be different this year with everyone, but she never let her hopes get too high. “'And I won't forget the way you held me up when I was down. And I won't forget the way you said, "Darling I love you". You gave me faith to go on, now we're there and we've only just begun. This will be our year, took a long time to come.'” The boy continued, whipping his dreads back, a thing he liked to think was pretty much his signature as he sang on. “'The warmth of your smile', smile for me, little one.'A'nd this will be our year, took a long time to come. You don't have to worry, all your worried days are gone. T'his will be our year,' took a long time to come.” The last three years had been alright for her and her boyfriend, but that had been the extent of it. Not that June didn't like “alright”, she did, though she often wondered if Spider truly felt the same way about her. Could he share as little with her in the same way she wasn't able to share with him? Conversations were always deep and kisses were always chaste and for whatever reason, neither of them ever went further. But why go further? It had been fun and he had been good company. June also knew she came across as annoying and bitchy to most people, even those she considered friends; although she was well aware that they didn't return that consideration. She just desperately wanted to be noticed. She craved attention. She understood it from an intellectual standpoint. That’s possibly what one gets for taking lessons from one Rachel Berry, which June had decided wasn’t exactly a great idea after all. There were times when she was self-aware enough to almost cringe at herself and wish she could reign in her behavior. And other times she was completely oblivious to how she affected people. Intellectually she got it. She just wished someone would explain it to her heart. It made her ache to know that most people didn't like her now. She wanted so much to please them and she always ended up making it worse. Was she truly that bad? Most people seemed to barely be able to tolerate her. “'And I won't forget the way you held me up when I was down. And I won't forget the way you said, "Darling I love you". You gave me faith to go on, now we're there and we've only just begun. And this will be our year, took a long time to come.'” She stood at her locker and started putting the things she would need for the school year in it. Courtney noticed her as she walked by on her way to her own locker, but she didn't quite say anything. She was sure she'd hear enough of June later during Glee Club practice, and she didn't want to hear her voice right now. Besides, when had she ever said hello to June Harris voluntarily? “'Yeah we only just begun'. Yeah, this will be our year, took a long time to come.” Spider finished with a smile. ________________________________________________________________________________ Courtney had spent the last three years getting back into shape and getting to know her mother again. Vicky Laurent had taken her second chance seriously and was doing her best to be able to step up to the plate. She had been able to change herself into the mother she had always wanted to be but had never been able to under the circumstances of her previous marriage. The girl had been skeptical at first, but she found that she loved this new mom that she could talk to and kiss goodnight. The first few weeks after fully coming out to everyone was rather hard for Courtney, sealing the fate of her reputation even more. Although returning to The Holy Heralds the previous year in the hopes of boosting her spot on the social ladder, she still lost the bid for prom queen to some tramp of a senior. It had been very hard for her, but Vicky had been there for Courtney, this time with love and acceptance instead of judgment and disappointment. Vicky showered her daughter with hugs, kisses and attention. And even discipline. As a matter of fact, Courtney had spent two weeks of her summer grounded after the second time she missed curfew and stayed out well into the middle of the night. Vicky had been worried about Courtney's reaction, but she knew if she was going to be a complete mom than this was part of that. For her part, the young girl had given a half-hearted argument, but in the end had accepted her mother's sentence. It made her feel like a teenager again; like maybe she could still be a kid, and that was a feeling she hadn't felt in a long time. As the summer came to a close Courtney and Vicky were happier than they had been in perhaps ever. Vicky's continued to coach Aural Fixation, but hey, it was pretty cool having a mother that was mentoring your main competition. And as for her budding relationship with Libby Brooks? The two remained as in love as they had ever been over the three years that they were together, and hopefully senior year wasn’t going to change anything. Courtney arrived for practice a few minutes late that afternoon and by the time she got there, June was already up in front of the group talking about the things they would need to do to prepare for Nationals this year. She surveyed the club from the doorway and was able to notice what June could see. Libby was rolling her eyes and whispering to Violette who then laughed at whatever had been said. Teddy seemed to be listening but as his eyes flickered to the clock on the wall, Courtney knew he wasn't. Mr. Evans was staring off into space and Spider was taping out a rhythm on his leg. A quick glance at everyone confirmed that none of them would remember June's speech in about five minutes. Courtney made her way across the room, passing in front of June to get to her chair. "Nice of you to finally join us, Courtney." June said. This caught the attention of the group who looked at the brunette, no doubt waiting for a biting comeback. "Why don't we prepare for Sectionals before we focus on Nationals, June?" Courtney asked sarcastically. "Take things one step at a time." "That's true, Love." Spider jumped in. "We need to get back in the game." The silence that followed that statement allowed everyone in the room to try and put together what he was saying. He noticed the looks he was getting and smirked. "I think what Courtney is trying to say, June, is that you're getting ahead of yourself." Mr. Evans spoke up. "Let's start with today’s general assembly." June took a seat by herself at the end of the first row of chairs. Of course she knew they needed to start small. She said that when she started her speech, but no one had been listening to her. One sentence from Courtney had helped get the attention of the group back where it needed to be and June started taking notes on the ideas that were being brainstormed throughout the room. She cast a quick glance at Courtney and matched the small smile she was giving her. ________________________________________________________________________________ Moments later, the entire senior populous was seated in St. Cecilia’s auditorium. The time had come for the school’s annual senior address, and the supposed Glee Club performance that was scheduled for that afternoon had been cancelled. Sister Shadonda mentioned to the teachers that this year’s speech would take on a more serious light, and she didn’t want anything interrupting her. “Welcome, seniors! Welcome to the start of the rest of your lives!” exclaimed the principal, bringing the entire gaggle of students to silence. “Today marks the first of a long and arduous journey. The journey to graduation.” she added, the room filling with applause and cheers. As she raised her hand high in the air, the room was brought to silence once more. “You have chosen St. Cecilia’s, and St. Cecilia’s has chosen you once more. There must be good reason behind this choice. In life we all have to make many choices and decisions, including some difficult ones. But once a choice or decision has been made, the next step is to face it and treat it as a task that must be accomplished and done well. To do this requires a wide range of qualities, some you already have, and others you will soon develop. To name a few: devotion; good judgment; hard work; motivation; optimism; resilience; responsibility; self-confidence; sense of purpose and the like. You also have to be prepared to respond to the challenges that lie ahead.” And as Sister Shadonda went on and the students sat intently, Rose shrugged as her steady boyfriend slumbered with his head rested on her shoulder. “Some things never change.” She whispered to herself, kissing the top of the boy’s head. Truth be told, if the good Lord was to be asked, he’d probably consider it a bloomin’ miracle that JR was seated amidst these students. His academic struggle had been crystal clear from the start, and without Rose’s help, he wouldn’t have so much as passed his junior year. So who could blame him for loving the girl so much? “Prepare yourselves for this new chapter in your lives. Perhaps you can begin by understanding what your futures will involve, and what will be expected of you this year, and in the years to come. Also, consider the possible challenges you all might possibly face.” continued Sister Shadonda. “You have already overcome the first hurdle – getting into your senior year. Now that you are here, the next hurdle before you, simply put, is this: You have to do well in each of your subjects and extracurricular activities; and lastly, find what it is that you wish to pursue. But at St. Cecilia’s we want you to do more. Your achievements must be good for yourself, your parents, your future, the country, and the world.” Our favorite little French girl, Violette sat on Rose’s opposite side, looking rather lost in thought with her eyes winced and her legs crossed. But why should she be? This was the beginning of her third and final year in the school which she had chosen to call home, a word which she deemed more appropriate and fitting; something she wouldn’t choose to say about her palatial estate in her own home country. And what a life she made for herself in this home of hers. Who had known that the little stunt she pulled, taking off her clothes in front of the entire student body and outing Courtney Wintour about her false pregnancy would skyrocket her to popularity and fame? Of course, she, along with Courtney who also ran for prom queen last year, lost to some slutty little senior was a bit of a blow to her ego, but she knew it hurt Courtney even more. That, and the fact that this would be her third year as captain of The Holy Heralds would certainly look good on any college application…and hopefully in her father’s eyes. And Charlie, who did actually end up dating Violette for some part of last year, had ultimately decided that the right choice for him to make was to take that test. And take it he did, lifting him off on a new journey in life as a student of NYU, taking a short course in sports management. But that wasn’t the last they’d certainly be seeing of Charles Quint. “Many students who go to school think that the main purpose, as far as they are concerned, is to gain knowledge. But let me tell you this: Success in the academe not only depends on gaining knowledge and memorizing facts. It also depends on how well you can use the things that you learn. You must also try your utmost to achieve academic excellence. It would be very difficult for me, in a few words, to define the meaning and way to achieve this. But suffice to say, among other things, quality work, originality, creativity and innovative ideas are important ingredients. Don't forget that the skills you will develop in St. Cecilia’s are essential for your future career.” “Yeah…like Glee Club.” chuckled Luke, who seemed far beyond thrilled to finally be in school once more. He had spent the entirety of last year being tutored and schooled in rehabilitation, just so he could make it in time to return as a high school senior. And work hard he did. It wasn’t easy for him, truth be told. His thin little body had grown accustomed to the substances that he thought he loved dearly. But one thing that always got him by was the idea that Hayley had been able to kick the habit once before. And speaking of the feisty blonde, looking to his right, Luke squeezed the girl’s hand tighter as he kissed her cheek. After that surprise Hayley had pulled on Eric and Xander two years ago, she realized how much fun Glee Club was supposed to be and stuck it out with Center Stage. Sure, they already lost Nationals twice in a row. And sure, if she had stayed with Aural Fixation, she would be in the show choir world’s two time back-to-back winning team, but that really didn’t matter, did it? What mattered most to her right now was seeing that Luke wouldn’t slip back into the whirlpool that was his former life, and she knew that all Luke had ever wanted, or needed for that matter was to be truly loved. “Most of our life is a series of images. They pass us by like towns on a highway. But sometimes, a moment stuns us as it happens. And we know that this instant is more than a fleeting image. We know that this moment, every part of it, will live on forever.” spoke the school’s principal, the tone of the whole assembly taking a much more emotional tone as she began to tear up. “The important thing is not to be bitter over life's disappointments. Learn to let go of the past, and recognize that every day won't be sunny. And when you find yourself lost in the darkness of despair remember, it's only in the black of night that you see the stars, and those stars lead you back home.” Bewilderment was clear on the faces of the faculty that all sat behind her. Well, all except Coach Sydney Kympton who remained quite composed. "So don't be afraid to make mistakes, to stumble and fall, because most of the time the greatest rewards come from doing the things that scare you the most. Maybe you'll get everything you wish for. Maybe you'll get more than you ever could have imagined. Who knows where life will take you. The road is long and in the end, the journey is the destination." trembled the principal. “My dear students, my journey with you has come to an end. Effective tomorrow, I shall no longer be with you to guide you along the roads that you all will be taking. With that said, I would like you all to give a warm St. Cecilia’s welcome to your new principal, a woman who most of you may already now…Ms. Sydney Kympton.” ________________________________________________________________________________ “''Okay, call me crazy, but doesn’t it seem like I’m doomed, relationship wise? I mean, it’s not exactly like I’ve had a perfect track record with the people I’ve dated in high school. Well…two to be exact. First, I dated the school’s most popular girl, and we all know how that turned out. Then of course there was Teddy, the one who I thought I’d spend the rest of my life with. But I guess that didn’t really turn out the way I wanted it to go. After that whole Xander fiasco a few years back, things turned out pretty alright. After what seemed like a perfect year, the summer just slowly made us drift apart.” Billy thought to himself as he lumbered through the halls of St. Cecilia’s, making his way to lacrosse practice. Last year, he was made to fend for the team and take charge, seeing that Coach DeWitt had been absent, enjoying his stint at a musical career. This year though, with the announcement of a new principal came the news of a new lacrosse coach. Secretly, he had hoped the new coach would be so much easier to work with than the nut job that they used to have to listen to. Being team captain and trying to keep every team member in tow was pretty taxing as is. “''Honestly though, I wouldn’t mind having another crack at trying to make things work with Teddy. He’s such a sweet guy, and hopefully when graduation comes, we’d already know what the future has in store for the two of us.” he added in thought, ending with a heavy sigh as he swung the door to the male’s locker room open. And who would greet his weary little eyes, standing before each and every teammate of his? Why, it was a face that was very familiar to him and most, if not all of the lacrosse team. In fact, the person before them had once played for them as well. “Good morning, Billy! So nice of you to join us.” he said with a smile. Billy rushed to the man’s side, pouncing on him like a dog who hadn’t seen his master in months. “Holy smokes, Charlie! What the hell are you doing here?!” he asked as he grappled the other guy. “Well, seeing as I’m taking that course in sports management, and because of my great record while I was on the team, Principal Kympton has agreed to have me coach The Knights of The Altar!” Charlie exclaimed. “No effing way, bro!” yelled Luke who jumped out of his seat to join in on the skirmish. “Dude…did I miss something?” said a groggy JR as he hazily opened his eyes. Billy and Luke pulled him up out of his seat, jolting the boy to his senses as they all rejoiced at the sight of their former teammate, both in lacrosse and glee club as he returned to the school. “Wait…so does that mean DeWitt ain’t coming back?” questioned Luke as he scratched the top of his head. “Oh, he’s back alright. I think you’ll be quite surprised.” Charlie replied with a smirk. ________________________________________________________________________________ Mr. Evans rolled over to his side, just in time to kiss his lovely wife who had just begun to stir from her slumbering state. With a yawn, she turned in his direction. “Good morning, Wish-heart.” whispered the man as he slowly kissed her, making his way down from her lips, all the way to her stomach. “And good morning to you too, princess.” he whispered, kissing Waverly’s belly that was beginning to show. She smiled a smile of delight as she held him close, kissing him back as she laid a hand on her belly. And moments later, after each of their morning rituals, the two were in the kitchen sharing breakfast. Such was the scene in the daily lives of the Evans’. And with the much awaited arrival of their daughter, things couldn’t get any better. In truth, it wasn’t exactly an easy road for them since they got married. The two had wanted nothing more than to have a child, seeing how much Kitty and Charlie were enjoying raising Harper together. But after two miscarriages and an ectopic pregnancy, Waverly had thought she would never see they day that she would ever become a mother. This time, they were careful. The couple did their best to avoid anything the least bit stressful that may aggravate Waverly, and so far all was well. In five or so more months, their darling daughter would be in their arms. “You ready to go to work?” “Mmhmmm…” nodded Waverly, kissing her husband on the cheek as she finished neatly folding the top of the brown paper bag that held her husband’s lunch. “Hurry up, Mandy or you’ll be late! You have everything ready?” yelled Waverly from downstairs, signaling for the younger girl to lug her things down the stairs. ________________________________________________________________________________ "Ladies!" yelled Coach DeWitt. "I want you to be reassured that I am more than just a coach or God of musicality, I am also a mentor, a teacher and a fierce protector of my girls.” “Uh, coach…you have boys on the team, too.” announced a young freshman. The boy, clad in gold sweat pants that were lined with red, and a white top that had the letters SCA printed boldly in front, was of course new to the squad, like so many of the others. David Matlin was his name, but he was often referred to as DJ. Violette and the rest of the girls who had flocked to her side had taken an interest in the cute young boy and his sass. He was the token, snarky gay friend each girl would want to have. “Tubby, I am truly apologetic of where my sexist remark reached, but know this; you call yourself a boy?! Hell, my grandmother’s saggy old boobs are manlier than you!” quipped Coach DeWitt as he pulled the megaphone to his lips. “Now, 5 – 6 – 7 – 8, again!” “'Come Mr. DJ song pon de replay. Come Mr. DJ won't you turn the music up. All the gyal pon the dancefloor wantin’ some more, what. Come Mr. DJ won't you turn the music up.'” the gym erupted into song as The Holy Heralds began to sing in unison and dance their routines. After doing a few flips in midair, Violette landed in front of the group. “'It goes 1 by 1 even 2 by 2. Everybody on the floor let me show you how we do. Let’s go dip it low then you bring it up slow. Wind it up 1 time, wind it back once more.'” sang the French girl, pointing her finger up towards the sky, signaling as Courtney landed beside her. “'Run, run, run, run. Everybody move, run. Lemme see you move and rock it ‘til the grooves done. Shake it ‘til the moon becomes the sun.'” sang Courtney, a look of empowerment on her face. “'Sun.'” chanted the rest of the team as the continued with one of the toughest routines they had ever had to deal with. “'Everybody in the club give me a run.'” continued Courtney. “'Run.'” chanted the rest. “'If you ready to move say it.'” sang Vi, whipping her hair around. “'Yeah! Yeah!'” yelled the rest of the team. “'One time for your mind say it!'” screamed Courtney. “'Yeah! Yeah!'” “'Well I'm ready for ya. Come let me show ya.'” sang Vi with a smirk as she glanced at Courtney. “'You want to groove, Im'a show you how to move.'” replied Courtney, smirking back at Vi before the two head off, back into the crowd of cheerleaders.' '“'Come, come.'” “'Come Mr. DJ song pon de replay. Come Mr. DJ won't you turn the music up. All the gyal pon the dancefloor wantin’ some more, what. Come Mr. DJ won't you turn the music up.'” “'Come Mr. DJ song pon de replay. Come Mr. DJ won't you turn the music up. All the gyal pon the dancefloor wantin’ some more, what. Come Mr. DJ won't you turn the music up.'” “'Hey Mr., Please Mr. DJ, tell me if you hear me. Turn the music up.'” sang Violette as she flipped her way to the top of one of the pyramids. “'Hey Mr., Please Mr. DJ, tell me if you hear me. Turn the music up.'” Sang Courtney, making her way up her respective pyramid. “'It goes 1 by 1 even 2 by 2. Everybody in the club gon’ be rockin’ when I'm through. Let the bass from the speakers run through ya sneakers. Move both ya feet and run to the beat.'” Courtney cried out as she and Violette were tossed around, making the two girls switch pyramids. “'It goes 1 by 1 even 2 by 2. Everybody in the club gon’ be rockin’ when I'm through. Let the bass from the speakers run through ya sneakers. Move both ya feet and run to the beat.'” Violette sang as the two of them were finally tossed back down. “'Run, run, run, run. Everybody move, run. Lemme see you move and rock it ‘til the grooves done. Shake it ‘til the moon becomes the sun.'” sang Vi and Courtney in unison. “'Sun.'” they all chanted. “'Everybody in the club give me a run.'” sang Vi. “'Run.'” Everyone added. “'If you ready to move say it.'” Courtney sang. “'Yeah! Yeah!'” “'One time for your mind say it!'” added Violette. “'Yeah! Yeah!'” “'Well I'm ready for ya. Come let me show ya.'” Courtney and Vi sang together, leading the group in a synchronized dance routine. “'You want to groove, Im'a show you how to move.'” continued the rest of The Holy Heralds. “'Come, come.'” “'Come Mr. DJ song pon de replay. Come Mr. DJ won't you turn the music up. All the gyal pon the dancefloor wantin’ some more, what. Come Mr. DJ won't you turn the music up.'” “'Come Mr. DJ song pon de replay. Come Mr. DJ won't you turn the music up. All the gyal pon the dancefloor wantin’ some more, what. Come Mr. DJ won't you turn the music up.'" “'Hey Mr., Please Mr. DJ, tell me if you hear me. Turn the music up.'” sang the boys of the group. “'Hey Mr., Please Mr. DJ, tell me if you hear me. Turn the music up.'” chimed the girls. “'Okay everybody get down if you feel me. Put your hands up to the ceiling.'” sang Violette who was now being raised to the top once more, the rest of the cheerleaders making it seem as if she were actually standing on an automated platform. “'Okay everybody get down if you feel me. Put your hands up to the ceiling.'” “'Okay everybody get down if you feel me. Put your hands up to the ceiling.'” “'Okay everybody get down if you feel me. Put your hands up to the ceiling.'” sang Courtney, doing a triple flip, landing beside Violette with a smile. “''Courtney Wintour’s back, bitches.” she thought to herself with a smile. “'Come Mr. DJ song pon de replay. Come Mr. DJ won't you turn the music up. All the gyal pon the dancefloor wantin’ some more, what. Come Mr. DJ won't you turn the music up.” Meanwhile, Courtney and Violette’s massive performance caught the eye of yet another of the team’s new recruits. There was no doubt that this girl was beautiful. In fact, she was breathtakingly gorgeous. But it wasn’t like Coach DeWitt would allow any freshman to be team captain, and Kara Henderson was of no exception. She’d just have to wait her turn like everyone else. “'''Come Mr. DJ song pon de replay. Come Mr. DJ won't you turn the music up. All the gyal pon the dancefloor wantin’ some more, what. Come Mr. DJ won't you turn the music up.” they all finished with sighs of relief, anticipating what the coach would be saying next. The coach smiled at first, but then arched his right eyebrow as he pursed his lips soon after. “You call that beautiful?! I have a wart on my third testicle that’s more visually arousing than that!!!” he yelled out. ________________________________________________________________________________ Much later in the choir room, the members of Center Stage all gathered for what was to be their second meeting for the school year. It had come to Mr. Evans’ attention that although each and every single student of his was quite talented, in order to possibly give these kids a shot at finally winning Nationals, they would most likely need to add more members to the group. I mean, who ever heard of a winning show choir which only had the minimum required number of competitors? Besides, with Charlie’s departure, they still needed one more kid, and using yet another of the band kids wasn’t quite going to cut it. “Alright guys…” he turned to speak to the group behind him. “As you can all see, we’ve already got a pretty good group as is. Judging from my observations, however, no show choir that had merely the minimum amount of members has ever won Nationals. So, Principal Kympton has been extremely generous in offering us the use of the outdoor student’s quadrangle to drum up some auditionees. We’ll be doing a group performance so everyone can see what Center Stage has to offer.” “You sure, Mr. E? If I remember correctly, last years “flash mob” in the school halls pretty much ended in a blood bath.” Libby said, cringing at the mere thought of the events the year prior to this one, eliciting moans and groans from everyone else. “Look, guys…let’s try to remain as positive as possible. It’s your senior year for Pete’s sake! Let’s show this school what you all can do!” added the teacher, trying to boost everyone’s morale. “Mr. Evans, though highly optimistic, is right you guys. As this team’s captain, I think doing a little group number in front of everyone would be perfect to showcase my – I mean OUR talents.” said June in her oftentimes sing-song tone. ________________________________________________________________________________ And soon came Friday lunch period. The time the club had scheduled their performance of sorts. The Glee Club’s posters and sign-up sheets had been up soon after they held that meeting, most of which had now been heavily vandalized with crude drawings and hurtful words that were just too distasteful. The kids just brushed it aside, though, much to Mr. Evans’ joy. The courtyard was full as usual, on the account of it being lunch time and Patch’s body was trembling with such nervousness as he surveyed the area. Each of Center Stage’s members had firmly decided on the piece, rehearsed and choreographed all week despite arguments, and knew it like the back of their hands. Although trying to be greatly optimistic, inside he just hoped that he wouldn’t have a repeat of his last attempt to win over members through a surprise number. Judging by last year, these things would usually end up badly. With the click of a button, music began to blast through the speakers. “'Yahoo! Yahoo!'” yelled each of the members of Center Stage as the hurriedly scurried off to different parts of the courtyard, hoping to grab some attention. “'Celebrate good times', come on!” sang the girls in unison as they jumped up and down. “'Let's celebrate!'” added the boys. “'Celebrate good times', come on!” continued the girls as they tried their best to get people off of their feet. “'Let's celebrate!'” the boys added. “'There's a party going on right here. A celebration, to last throughout the years. So bring your good times and your laughter' too. We're gonna celebrate your party with you!” sang Teddy as he strut his way around the area with a cheeky grin. “'Come on now.'” sang Luke with a smile. “'Celebration!'” chimed the girls. “'Let's all celebrate and have a good time.'” the boys sang as they jumped up on various tables. “'Celebration!'” the girls sang once more, getting the crowd to clap along. “'We gonna celebrate and have a good time!'” Center Stage’s boys added. “'It's time to come together. It's up to you', what’s your pleasure. Everyone around the world, come on!” Teddy sang once more, doing a few twirls. “'Yahoo!' Yahoo!” cheered all the members of Center Stage. “'Celebrate good times, come on!'” the girls sang. “'Let's celebrate!'” the boys sang. “'Celebrate good times, come on!'” the girls sang. “'Let's celebrate!'” the boys sang. “'We're gonna have a good time tonight! Let's celebrate, it's alright.'” the boys chanted. “'We're gonna have a good time tonight!'” “'Celebration!'” the girls chimed as they clapped to the beat. “'Let's celebrate!'” “'Celebration!'” “'Celebrate good times', come on!” sang the girls in unison. “'Let's celebrate!'” added the boys. “'Celebrate good times', come on!” continued the girls as they danced around with random people from the crowd. “'Let's celebrate!'” the boys added, doing the same. “'Celebrate good times', come on!” “'Let's celebrate!'” “'Celebrate good times', come on!” “'Let's celebrate!'” And to everyone’s surprise, they were actually received with applause. Far from what had happened last year, but what failed to surprise anyone was what happened next. After the performance, everyone just slowly walked away as if nothing had happened. ________________________________________________________________________________ The next day, with everyone’s faces quite glum, Mr. Evans entered the choir room with a young blonde girl in tow. She was sporting a varsity jacket, skinny jeans and rubber shoes and quite resembled the teacher. “Alright, introduce yourself.” he said, motioning for her to take to the center as he sat. The girl nervously shrugged, tucking the hair that dangled on her right side behind her ear. She coughed a few times before a peep was hear from her mouth. “I-I’m Amanda Evans…you can call me Mandy.” “Whoa! Hot freshie is Mr. E’s daughter?!” exclaimed Luke in surprise, almost literally falling off his chair as Hayley shot him a look. “Sister. I’m his sister.” she giggled. “My brother asked me to come audition, and seeing as I don’t know much people in this school, I thought I’d give it a shot.” With a few consecutive nods that signaled her, the piano man began to play and she began to sing. In truth, the Amanda had always lived in the shadows of her siblings, a rather musically and theatrically inclined bunch. That, coupled by her weight issues and overall nerdiness had always made her the one people always failed to look at. But now that she was in high school, and after shedding quite a hefty amount of pounds and ditching her thick framed spectacles, Mandy decided to revamp herself, making it her goal to shine in all things her siblings boasted off, hopefully gaining some much awaited popularity along the way. “Mandy, ready when you are.” sighed Patch as he rolled his eyes. Amanda rolled up the loose sleeves of the beat up old varsity jacket, opened her mouth and began to sing. “'How can I decide what's right', w'hen you're clouding up my mind?' I can't win your losing fight a'll the time.'” she sang, closing her eyes and picturing things to come in her new school, hoping to no longer be just “The Other Evans Kid”. “'Not gonna ever own what's mine' w'hen you're always taking sides.' But you won't take away my pride. No, not this time...” “'Not this time...'” The scene now takes us to the school’s Office for Admission and Aid, were we see a striking, young red-head as she makes the final arrangements to secure her transfer to the school. “'How did we get here?' When I used to know you so well. But how did we get here? Well, I think I know.” As the young ginger lifts her head, it is quite noticeable that she bears quite a striking resemblance to one June Harris. “Welcome to St. Cecilia Academy, Ms. Felter. I’m sure Mr. Evans will be thrilled, seeing as you have such experience in show choir!” exclaimed the woman behind the desk. Dominique Felter just smirked. “'The truth is hiding in your eyes' and it's hanging on your tongue, just boiling in my blood. But you think that I can't see what kind of man that you are, if you're a man at all. Well, I will figure this one out. On my own.” Amanda continued, drawing everyone into her emotional song “'I'm screaming, "I love you so."'” Dom sang, turning her back on the receptionist after shooting her a quick smile. “'On my own.'” Mandy continued. “'My thoughts you can't decode.'” added Dom, taking out a crumpled up picture of Spider, cradling a newborn Ant in his arms. “'How did we get here, when I used to know you so well? Yeah.' But how did we get here? Well, I think I know.” Amanda continued, the song shifting back to her as she opened her eyes. “'Do you see what we've done?' We've gone and made such fools 'o'f ourselves. Do you see what we've done? We've gone and made such fools of ourselves.” sang Dom as she wheeled her suitcase down the halls of St. Cecilia’s, making her way to her dorm room. “'Yeah. Yeah.'” The scene now overlaps between the two as we see Amanda belting it out in the choir room as everyone looks on, either with delight or in threat. Dominique on the other hand, is just finishing unpacking her clothes. “'How did we get here, when I used to know you so well? Yeah, yeah.' How did we get here, when I used to know you so well?” they sang in unison. “'I think I know.'” sang Amanda. “'I think I know.'” sang Dom. “'There is something I see in you.'” they sang again together, once more, the people beginning to stand and clap for Amanda. As the young girl looks to her older brother for assurance, he just sighs and stands. “It was good, Mandy. It wasn’t great. It wasn’t amazing. It wasn’t spectacular. But It’ll do…for now.” were the words Patch uttered, Amanda just shrugging as she was used to it by now. “'It might kill me.' I want it to be true.” Whispered Dom as she knocked on one of the dorm room doors with a smile. As the door opened with a crack, the voice of one of residents shook in disbelief. “D-D-Dom? What in t-the b-b-bloody hell are y-y-you doing here?” said Spider shakily. “Hello, Spider. I missed you.” She said, pushing him back into the room and shutting the door behind them. THE END 'Cast' 'Main Cast' Courtney Wintour (UndercoverGleek1) Billy Grappa (Goku24) Rose Winters (KCisaGleek98) June Harris (DisneySparkles) Luke Hamilton (XIamAweSam) JR Hayfield (QFabrayGleek4eva) Violette L'Ange (Sooperpurple) Libby Brooks (Josh Bullin24) Hayley Bell (Nayaforever) Teddy McCall (ArashiKagami) Spider Reed (Theunitedstateofme) Mr. Patch Evans (Theunitedstateofme) Mrs. Waverly Bloss-Evans (DisneySparkles) Coach Luke DeWitt (Nayaforever) 'Recurring Cast / Guest Cast' Sister Shadonda (Theunitedstateofme) Principal Sydney Kympton (QuinnQuinn) Charlie Quint (Gonzalorams) DJ Matlin (ArashiKagami) Kara Henderson (Purple-Glee-Project) Amanda Evans (Sooperpurple) Dominique Felter (Theunitedstateofme) Songs *'This Will Be Our Year' by The Zombies. Sung by Spider. *'Pon De Replay' by Rihanna. Sung by Violette, Courtney & the Holy Heralds. *'Celebration' by Kool and the Gang. Sung by Center Stage. *'Decode' by Paramore. Sung by Amanda and Dom.